God Filled Weeks

Whew, these next few weeks are definitely full for me. No time to joke around...well too much at least! This past Sunday started VBS, Boomerang Express as most people around here are doing. It's been a blessing already to me. I got super excited Sunday morning before we even started. Decorations were up, preacher had nowhere to stand except beside the train and the ticket booth...and a cousin of mine got saved. Y'all, it just made my day. We've had about 40 kids there the past few nights, not including all the workers. It's just so amazing to think that we can influence these young lives for Christ throughout this week.

Next week the youth is headed to SuperWow. Everytime I've been to this camp, it has completely blessed my socks off! I went when I was in youth, and this will be the third years I will be a youth leader taking the church's youth. Each year has gotten better. Last year was an experience I will never forget. I have never felt so close to Jesus before with so many people. I can't put into words how much He touched me there. I pray that this year is just as good. I pray that everybody that goes gets a piece of Jesus that they might not have ever gotten before.

After that, it's relaxation time at the beach with the family. 14 people in one house. Extended family, guys! No, I'm not one of like 12. For a whole week. We are getting back on the 4th and I'm not too sure if the house has wireless or not. Hopefully it does so I can update.

You know, it's just amazing how much God is doing in my life right now. No, I'm not perfect; there are things I definitely need to work on, but I'm just trying constantly to keep my eyes on Him and make Him the numbero uno priority in my life. I'm always the happiest when I do. Somehow when my priorities get diverted to other areas in my life, I'm just not as happy. So...I'm choosing happiness. For now and always. :)

A Lot in a Little Amount of Time

First things first, big important prayer request: one of my younger friends from high school got in a car accident the other morning. He ran off the road, overcorrected, ran up the next ditch and hit a tree head on. God has spared his life, but he is now paralyzed from the neck down and it is irreversible. Please pray for him and his family. He is only 19 or 20, so this is life altering for him. I don't know if he knows the Lord as his Savior, so please pray for this as well. I can't tell you how many prayers he needs right now.

Onto more minute and insequential news. I know, I know, haven't been on here much. It's been busy, busy, busy around here. Finished up my student teaching, graduated (I know, it finally came!), and now looking for a job. The last part isn't going so good right now, but I'm not so much worried because I know that God has a plan for me. The right job is out there. I do have another interview tomorrow, though.

Another thing, sorta depressing and heartwrenching, my grandmother is not gogin to be able to drive anymore. This might not seem like a big deal, but you just have to know her. She is a people person. She drives up to the nursing home and WalMart everyday to just get out of her house and see people and not get lonely. So, as much as it pains my dad to do it, she just is not able to drive anymore, mostly due to memory loss and whatnot. It just tears me apart to see her like this and it's the first day.

Sometimes I just want to bawl my heart out just seeing all the troubles of the world alive in my life right now. Not that it is directed directly at me, but, y'all, seeing other people hurt gets to me like no end. But it also makes me realize just how awesome heaven will be. No more sorrow and no more pain. While we're on this earth, we do have to deal with both. I pray that myself and all of y'all reading this take all our troubles to God first and foremost, the Only Person who can do anything about our pain.

Love you guys, and I promise I'll keep up more. :)

Lazy Sunday afternoon

Well, after a few weeks of non stop activity, I finally have some time to get back on here.

Right now I'm at my nana and grandaddy's house using their wireless internet. Lord bless them, they just got it and are trying to figure it out. I've found out that it's very hard to explain how to use over the phone. But they're doing great with it.

Right now I'm propped up beside a fire and it's raining outside. I just love these kinds of days. If I hadn't slept so much last night, I would definitely be taking a nap right now. But if I do, I'll never sleep tonight. I am definitely taking advantage of having tomorrow off from school. Holidays are glorious!

This past week was my first week student teaching. I absolutely love the school, teacher and class, but hate all the college work I have to do for it. Lesson plans galore that I will never use again. Let me tell you, by the time Friday rolled around, this sister was so tired she went to bed at 10:30 and slept 'til...well I won't admit that. :D More about this as the time goes on.

So excited about the second half of the month having rolled round. Which means I'm working on my second scripture. Love my choice. I'm actually breaking down the 6 verses dealing with the armor of God into 3 sections. The rest of this month is Eph. 6:13-14, next month will be 15-18. I've been real excited to learn this scripture ever since I heard a pastor talking about how his wife recites these verses each morning when she puts on her makeup. Not only is she getting herself physically dressed for the day, but also spiritually.

Love,

Sarah

A Very Special Day

Today was an ordinary day...exceptI got to spend it with my grandmama. It will definitely be a day that I will always remember and treasure. See, my dad's mom had him veeeery late in life, so she is the age of my great-grandparents on the other side. She is by far probably the most nice person I have ever met. These past few years have been hard, especially for my dad because her memory is going. Some days are better than the others.

Last time she got a perm it didn't hold so she's been scared to go back. Well, Sunday I mentioned to her that we were going to have a Girls Day and get her hair done at my hair place. We went and boy it took long, but it turned out great. I've been going over to her house every week or so and washing and pinning up her hair, so it was fun to go together and get her hair done.

Afterwards we went and ate with my dad. Did I mention I love Chinese food? Well, I do and apparently she does too. After that I went back and hung out with her at her house, which she absolutely loved because she lives there alone and gets lonely. We joked and she acted years younger than I've seen her act in awhile. She gets hung up on her age (90) and how she is one of the oldest people on the earth, which I always correct her about.

It's hard to exactly put into words how special today was to me. It just reminded me that life is short and that we all need to make the best of it. Don't take advantage of your family...they might not be here tomorrow. And love them like there's no tomorrow!!


~Sarah

Ringing in the New Year

Wow, can you believe 2009 is actually here? It just seems like it turned 2008. IT wasa great year, but I am totally stoked about 2009! A few days ago, I was so just nonchalant about it. Yeah, 2009, whatever, a new year. But now...SO EXCITED about it.

It all started with the question "Who wants a Jesus year?" And I realized, well, yep that's something I'm totally down with. A year with my Savior and me would be great. Not just another average year. This one has so many opportunities for me, all because I've decided to live it with my Savior in mind. Yes, this is something that a person can decide at any time of the year, but with my obsessive complulsiveness about things like this, trust me, this is a great time.

It so excites and dumbfounds me that God is thrilled about my decision. Yes, a year with Him, getting closer to Him for me is nothing less than thrilling. But for Him to be thrilled to spend time with little 'ole me? Blows my mind. This is a year I don't want to lose track of our relationship. I know He doesn't go anywhere, but trust me sometime my mind does.

I want so many things out of this year. I want to seek Him more in my decisions. I want Him to be intimately involved in every aspect of my life. I want to stop being so daggum indecisive about things and live my life fully relying on knowing that He is with me no matter what. I want others to see Him more in me. I want to memorize His Word so that it is pasted in my heart. I want to know Him intimately and have my prayer life just grow leaps and bounds. I just want Him and my relationship to be the main focus of my life this year before anything else.

Of course there are numerous other things that aren't nearly as important that I also want out of this year. Did I mention that I long to write books? Lol. As much as I love to read, and I do mean LOVE, I've always wanted to be on the other end of the rope. As for if that will actually happen, we'll see. Perhaps I'm just meant to be a reader of other's books. But I really would love to write books for God's glory.

God, please just take this year and mold me into the person that you want me to be. I'm all yours.

I hope God sends blessings to you this year, Siestas.

~Sarah

Home for the Holidays

Don't you like the title? Very original. Not that I've actually traveled home for the holidays. I've just pretty much stayed here and we don't go anywhere special. But it does mean that I get to stay here a lot more than when I have school. Pretty much this is the time of year when we have healthy doses of family time. By the time spring semestr starts, we'll all be tired of one another. Just kidding. I hope.

Speaking of which, I went yesterday to meet the teacher I will be doing my student teaching with. Y'all, she is just precious to me already! She had never met me and wasn't expecting me, but before I could get my full name out of my mouth, she grabbed me up into the biggest hug. They were finishing up their Christmas party and I got to go around and play and talk with the kids. It was great. I cannot wait to start. More on this as it pans out.

As for everything else, school came to a close for me last Friday. All A's. It was nothign short of a miracle from God. That last month or so got to me. I don't know if I've ever been so stressed and anxious in my life. Honestly, as a result of all of that, I'm sad to say it cut into my spiritual life. I still love church and my Lord most of all, but I was pretty much burnt out and still sort of am. Not to sound like I'm griping, but it's been hard because all the other adults helping me with the youth have pretty much quit. Not to say that some others haven't stepped up, but no one that is quite there as much as the ones were before. And something else that has gotten me down is that there are no other young adults that come consistently. Literally, I'm the only one. My other two best friends ( a guy and a girl) literally haven't been in over a month. One is a recluse (literally) who can't see why she has to come to church to worship God. She needs prayer because she doesn't get out of her house for a week at a time and has no social interaction with anybody. My other friend is getting married in March, and quite frankly it scaes me that he can't commit to come to church while he single. What's going to happen when he gets married?

Hopefully I can spend this time getting closer to Him. I know that I am always happier whenever we have a great relationship, but I'm not goign to lie on here and say that we're doing great. We've been better, and I know it's my fault. It's so easy to act like you've got it all together spiritually on a blog when in real life it is in shambles, and when I started this I told myself that I wouldn't do that. Honesty hurts sometimes, but cn also be very freeing. :)

Hope y'all are doing great!

~Sarah

Exausted

Guys, life is exausting. It seems as much as I want to get on here and as much as it uplifts me, life just gets in the way. I hate it. Satan's definitely been around. I know things could be a lot worse than they are and my problems are very minute, but goodness life just seems chaotic right now. Deadlines, full time practicum, teaching youth is just all wearing me out. I need a break. Not from church or teaching the youth, which I love, but goodness it's just one thing after the other lately.

God has definitely been giving me a very good lesson to learn about gossiping. Ladies, it is not a good thing. The way I've seen it used these past few weeks make it seem like an addiction, which partly is true. I've seen people use it and be demeaning or just out of pure fun. Not to say that I'm perfect in this category, but it is not right to talk about a student and their actions or lack of intelligence in front of them. That is just wrong. Let me get off my soapbox.

It's easy sometimes when life gets in the way to overlook the blessings God has given you. My cousin that broke her ankle went back to the doctor today. He said the surgery and healign has gone GREAT and much better than expected. The bone is still alive, which is a miracle! SHe sent me picture messages on my phone of pics of her foot, and y'all, you can't even tell the difference between her foot and leg. It's that swollen. Please contine to keep her in yor prayers because she is still in a lot of pain.

How are you doing? :)

~Sarah